Nelson, Horatio, Apotheosis of Nelson dinner plate, Royal Navy, about 1810

Description - Nelson, Horatio, rare, Apotheosis of Nelson dinner plate, Royal Navy, printed & glazed blue & white pottery, made in the United Kingdom during the reign of George III, in about 1810, shortly after Nelson's death at Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 (photographs 1 to 10). Vice-Admiral Nelson served with the Royal Navy in India during the First Anglo-Maratha war, the West Indies before & during the American War of Independence, & in the Mediterranean & the West Indies during the French Revolutionary & Napoleonic wars.

Victory against the French & Spanish fleets at the battle of Trafalgar was mixed with mourning in Britain due to his death during the battle. The Apotheosis of Nelson dinner plate seems to convey that after his victory at Trafalgar, Nelson has risen to the top tier of Royal Navy Admirals, including Vice-Admiral Collingwood, Admiral Hood, & Admiral of the Fleet Howe (photographs 1, & 3 to 6). The well of the dinner plate, in the centre of the plate's front surface, shows Neptune (god of the sea) with his trident, & Britannia, riding a horse drawn chariot through the sea, escorted by an angel, cherub, & another male person also with a trident (photograph 2).

There are dark clouds & a sun or moon in the sky, numerous waves in the sea, & the horses have webbed feet. A decorative pattern extends around the circumference of the well (photograph 2). The front surface of the dinner plate's lip has three circular sections, a deep almost vertical slope, followed by an almost horizontal curve, & finally shallow horizontal slope. The first & second sections display four equally spaced oval side portraits of Vice-Admiral Nelson, Vice-Admiral Collingwood, Admiral Hood, & Admiral of the Fleet Howe (photographs 1, 3 to 6, & 10).

Between each portrait are a pair of ladies with a collection of military equipment (photographs 1, & 3 to 6). The top & bottom collections being the same, as are the left & right collections. The third section displays a decorative pattern around the circumference of the dinner plate's lip (photograph 1).

The white rim around the outer circumference of the dinner plate is predominantly circular with eight equally spaced small indentations (photographs 1, & 3 to 6). The back surfaces of the lip & the centrally located circular base are white (photographs 7 to 9). The base is flat providing the dinner plate with stability on a flat table surface, & is marked with what appears to be a small blue number'2' (photographs 7 to 9).

Condition - The front & back surfaces of the plate both display numerous small discolouration marks & areas of discolouration due to their age (photographs 1 to 10). The upper right side of the plate has a hairline crack running diagonally from the centre of the plate to its outer rim (photographs 1, 7, 9, & 10).

However, generally the plate is in reasonable condition when considering its age & previous use (photograph 1 to 10). Dimensions - The diameter of the plate is 24.5 cm, the height 3.2 cm, & the weight 421 g (photographs 1 & 7).